Nasal nitric oxide levels in hiv infection: a cross-sectional study

Introduction. Low levels of nasal NO have been associated with increased propensity to rhinosinusitis and respiratory tract infections. Our objective was to describe nasalNOlevels in HIV-infected individuals versus healthy controls and determine possible risk factors for reduced nasal NO levels. Materials and Methods. HIV-infected individuals and healthy controls were recruited. Participants underwent nasal NO testing by standardized methods using a CLD88 chemiluminescence analyzer and completed the Sinonasal Outcome Test-20 (SNOT-20) on symptoms of rhinosinusitis. Results. Participants included 41 HIV-infected individuals with suppressed VL on antiretroviral therapy (ART group), 5HIV-infected individuals with detectable VL off ART (viremic group), and 12 healthy controls (HC group). Mean nasal NO level was 253 (+/- 77) nL/min in the ART group, 213 (+/- 48) nL/min in the viremic group, and 289 (+/- 68) nL/min in the HC group (p = 0.133; ANOVA). There was no correlation between nasal NO level and VL in viremic individuals (p = -0.200;p = 0.747). Differences were observed in mean total points on the SNOT-20 which were 19 (+/- 16)/100, 18 (+/- 26)/100, and 4 (+/- 4)/100 in the ART, viremic, and HC groups, respectively (p = 0.013; ANOVA). Conclusion. Healthy individuals, HIV patients on ART, and viremic individuals off ART display similar nasalNOlevels. However, rhinosinusitis symptoms remain prominent despite ART-treatment.